The Choices We Make As Leaders
During a networking discussion earlier this week, I discussed my positioning as a Leadership Endurance Coach and why I put my work under this umbrella. There was an immediate recognition that leadership is like the endurance sport, and the conversation turned to what it takes to keep going and going… like the energizer bunny.
We talked about the trade-offs and decisions merging work and family responsibilities. Both individuals had to make the choice that morning of being late for the meeting, dropping off kids earlier than usual or having them be late. It’s a weight that can cause guilt particularly if one area of your life feels like it is always getting the short stick. And that weight we carry on our endurance journey.
I was speaking with a leader this week who is checking all the boxes around impact but is recognizing the price of continuing to run at a sprint pace is starting to take its toll.
Another leader is focused on where they want to take their career now that their kids need less support (particularly around logistics management and homework oversight). For them, it’s an opportunity to decide if they want to take on a new stretch role… sign up for that “marathon commitment.” It’s forcing them to think about what’s the next success measure that they want to put in place and why.
Leadership endurance is all about knowing…
The race you’re in right now and how you want to run it… what success looks like:
Is it the time for an easy race or are you ready to train hard?
What it will take to make those success measures happen:
A “training” plan - what you need to do or learn
Support structures - mentors, coaches, supporters
Well-being plan - how you need to manage your mind and body for the distance
How you’ll handle it when things don’t go as planned
How to assess where you are, what’s working, and what’s not and the willingness to adapt the plan
For us to be successful as leaders in today’s environment, we need to build the foundation for how we’re setting ourselves up for success as the “athlete.” Once we have this in place, we’re ready to focus on how we better coach the “athletes” on our teams.
Part of the challenge of leading ourselves is knowing when it’s time to ask for support and stop trying to figure it out on our own.
I have never been good at this, but I’m working on it. Having coaches has definitely helped me see the value of moving the conversations from in my head to a live interaction where I can hear myself and start assessing if what I’ve been telling myself is true and get the benefit of their perceptions of what I’m saying.
Leadership endurance requires us to be honest about where we are, what we’re striving to do, what work we’re willing to put in, and what help we need.
How are you feeling about your leadership endurance journey?
Well-positioned with a great training and recovery plan
Running the marathon at a sprint pace and ready to bonk
Unsure what race you’re in and definitely without a plan
My passion is to help leaders (and HR leaders in particular) feel confident that they have the plan and the energy they need to keep running the distances.
If you’re ready for support or want to know more about what that would look like, let’s talk because I have room to take on a few new coaching clients.
Melissa
The new year is a perfect time to map out your success factors for the year.
You can download the 2025 Success Measures template with this link.